Missouri 911 dispatchers can now qualify as first responders. Here's why that matters

Previously, dispatchers were classified as clerical workers, which didn’t give them access to the benefits other first responders receive. Experts hope this will attract more candidates to the job.
Zach Cobb has been a 911 dispatcher for nearly a decade. He switched from freelance photography to emergency dispatching in 2014 because he wanted to help people.

On any given day, he might field calls about a baby’s birth, a major car accident or a shooting. But until recently, he wasn’t recognized as a first responder.

A bill Missouri Governor Mike Parson signed into law in August gives dispatchers access to expanded benefits, including mental health care services and earlier retirement, by defining them as first responders and allowing jurisdictions to do the same.

Previously, dispatchers were labeled as clerical workers. Cobb, a dispatcher in Blue Springs, said that the new designation helps target the trauma and long shifts dispatchers deal with on a daily basis.